Trees and Utilities Conference 2017

1. Bee diversity surveys of power line
rights-of-way in Pennsylvania:
Defining opportunities for pollinator
conservation
Hannah L. (Cave) Stout, Ph.D.
Conservation Entomologist
Certified Taxonomist & Biological Consultant

2. What are bees?
2016 Penn State Hymenoptera Pollinator Survey
Can ROWs help the bees?

3. “Most children have a bug period,
and I never grew out of mine.”
E.O. Wilson

4. What are bees?

5. Honey bees are freaks.
1. they are social.
2. they make honey.
3. they don’t live
underground.

6. WHAT ARE BEES?
Insect Order Hymenoptera
(ants, bees & wasps)
group within Hymenoptera:
Anthophila (“flower lover”)
More than 20,000 bee species
are known worldwide
~3500 bee species in U.S.

7. 6 Main types (Families) of bees in the U.S.
• Mining bees (Andrenidae)
• Bumble bees, Carpenter bees, Honey bees, etc. (Apidae)
• Masked bees and Plasterer bees (Colletidae)
• Sweat bees (Halictidae)
• Leaf-cutter bees (Megachilidae)
• Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae)

8. Mining bees
(Family Andrenidae)
~1200 species in U.S.
Active at cooler
temperatures
Solitary, ground-nesting

9. Mining bees (Andrenidae)
some Andrena bees live
communally
(≈ apartment buildings)

10. Perdita minima =
smallest bee in
North America
Mining bees (Andrenidae)

11. Bumble bees,
Carpenter bees,
Cuckoo bees,
Honey bees,
Nomad bees &
Squash bees
(Family Apidae)
~1000 species in U.S.
VERY diverse family!
Long-tongued bees

12. Diadasia bees live in
“neighborhoods”
of ground nests
(“chimney bees”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

13. male Euglossa bees
apply fragrances to
woo females
(“orchid bees”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

14. Nomada bees are
nest-parasites
(“cuckoo bees”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

15. Peponapis pruinosa is a
squash specialist
(“pruinose squash bee”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

16. Trigona minima is the
smallest bee in the world
…and it eats rotting
meat!
(a “vulture bee”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

17. Xylocopa bees are the
largest bees in the U.S.
(“large carpenter bees”)
Bumbles, Carpenters, Cuckoos, Honeys,
Nomads & Squash bees (Apidae)

18. Masked bees &
Plasterer bees
(Family Colletidae)
~200 species in U.S.
Some nest in twigs, nail
holes and abandoned
burrows
Short-tongued bees

19. Colletes bees make a
cellophane-like material to line
their nests
(“cellophane bees”)
Masked bees & Plasterer bees
(Colletidae)

20. Hylaeus bees are
Hawaii’s only
native bees
(“masked bees”)
Masked bees & Plasterer bees
(Colletidae)

21. Sweat bees
(Family Halictidae)
~500 species in U.S.
Solitary, communal, or
social
Often metallic/brilliantly
colored
Some nocturnal species

22. Augochlora pura comes in many colors
Sweat bees (Halictidae)

23. Lasioglossum texanum is
an evening primrose
specialist
(“nocturnal sweat bee”)
Sweat bees (Halictidae)

24. Leafcutter bees &
Mason bees
(Family
Megachilidae)
~600 species in U.S.
Line walls of nests with
leaves, hairs, or flower petals
Some are “super-pollinators”

25. Megachile pluto is the
largest bee in the world
(“Wallace’s giant bee”)
Leafcutter bees & Mason bees
(Megachilidae)

26. SUPER-POLLINATOR!
one Osmia lignaria bee
can do the work of
300 honey bees
(“blue orchard bee”)
Leafcutter bees & Mason bees
(Megachilidae)

27. Oil-collecting bees
(Family Melittidae)
Uncommon.
(33 species in U.S.)
All solitary ground-nesters
Most are specialists
No nectar in larval diet

28. Macropis bees
collect oil from
yellow loosestrife
flowers
Oil-collecting bees (Melittidae)

29. 2016 Penn State
Hymenoptera Pollinator
Survey

30. 1952 - impacts of vegetation management practices on
wildlife
Past surveys:
Plants
Mammals
Birds
Reptiles
Amphibians
Butterflies
Rights-of-Way Research and Demonstration
Projects
“Bramble and Byrnes”

31. Do different vegetation treatment methods at
powerline rights-of-way affect bees ?

32. “2016 Penn State Hymenoptera
Pollinator Survey”
Project Leader:
Carolyn G. Mahan, Ph.D.
Professor of
Biology & Environmental Studies
Penn State Altoona, PA
cgm2@psu.edu
Funded by:
Asplundh
Dow AgroSciences
FirstEnergy
PECO/Exelon
Penn State University
sites.psu.edu/transmissionlineecology/
sites.psu.edu/rightsofway

33. Penn State
Hymenoptera
Pollinator
Survey
at
State Game
Lands 33

34. Treatment Sites Description
High Volume Foliar Broadcast application using hydraulic equipment.
Dilute, broad-leaf herbicide.
Stem Foliar (Ultra Low Volume) Selective nozzle application.
Oil-based, broad-leaf herbicide.
Mowing Mechanical mowing that cuts and mulches vegetation.
No herbicide application.
Mowing + Herbicide (Cut Stubble) Mowing followed by selective treatment to woody stems and soil.
Dilute, broad-leaf herbicide.
Low Volume Basal Selective application to individual target woody vegetation up to 6 inches in diameter.
Oil-based herbicide.
Hand-cutting Individual cutting of target (non-compatible) woody vegetation, usually with a
chainsaw.
No herbicide application.

36. Mining bee on Prunus flower
Nomad bee on wild strawberry
BEES OF SGL33

37. Bee predators and mimics
“Bee wolf” wasp
(Philanthus sp.)
Robber fly
(Laphria sp.)
Thick-headed fly
(Physocephala sp.)

39. Bee populations of SGL33 -
2016 Survey
1056 individual bees collected
*20% were honey bees
95 unique bee taxa collected
*9 specialist species

40. Notable bee species of SGL33
2016 Survey
1 new state record
(a leaf-cutter bee)
1 Vulnerable species
(yellow bumble bee)
1 rare species
(an oil-collecting bee)

42. Hand Cut site at SGL33
July 2016

46. Can ROWs help the bees?

47. Habitat loss and fragmentation are major threats to bees and wildlife.
There are millions of acres of transportation and utility ROWs in the U.S.
ROWs = OPPORTUNITY!
*Native flowering plants
*Nesting habitat

48. THANK
YOU !

49. Photo Credits
• What are bees?: @BeesBackyard
• Andrenidae: Debbi Brusco (Bugguide.net)
Andrena, Perdita minima: @BeesBackyard
• Apidae:
Apis mellifera: Pat Cassidy (Bugguide.net)
Diadasia: Barbara H. Swissler (Bugguide.net)
Euglossa dilemma: Tamara Pokorny (Ruhr Universität Bochum)
Nomada: Denis A. Doucet (Bugguide.net)
Peponapis pruinosa: Ilona L. (Bugguide.net)
Trigona minima: iskandarsyah31.blogspot.com
Xylocopa: Michael Battenberg (Bugguide.net)
• Colletidae: Dave Beaudette (Bugguide.net)
Colletes: Evan Dankowicz (Bugguide.net)
Hylaeus: Sean McCann (Bugguide.net)
• Halictidae: RE Reed (Bugguide.net)
Augochlora pura: Bugguide.net
Blue: Dossy Lewin
Copper: Will Stuart
Green: Hobo Joe
Lasioglossum texanum: Mark H. Brown (Bugguide.net)
• Megachilidae: www.encyclopedie-universelle.net/abeille1/abeilles-solitaires-megachiliidae.html
Megachile pluto: Rachel Parle (Oxford University Museum of Natural History)
Osmia lignaria: Kim Phillips (Bugguide.net)
• Melittidae: Alice Abela (Bugguide.net)
Macropis: Joel Gardner (Bugguide.net)
• Notable bee species of SGL33 2016 Survey:
Heriades leavitti: John Ascher (Discoverlife.org)
Bombus fervidus: Todd J. Dreyer (Bugguide.net)
Macropis ciliata: Hadel Go (Discoverlife.org)
• Thank You! : virginia.edu/blandy